Grant Hill admitted to being nervous Saturday, an odd sensation for a veteran playing his 998th NBA game. But this wasn't an ordinary game for the Los Angeles Clippers forward.

Hill came off the bench in the fourth quarter, making his season debut against the Orlando Magic. A standing ovation greeted him as he ended a 36-game absence because of a right knee bone bruise.

It wasn't an outstanding night for the 40-year-old Hill. He finished with two points and two rebounds in six minutes. He missed all three field-goal attempts.

But you have to start sometime.

"When Vinny called my number, I was really nervous," Hill said. "But that's part of it, the butterflies. It's still kind of new, getting out there and playing with this team. The most important thing is that my knee felt good. My legs were a little heavy. But I passed the test."